Internal combustion engine assembly

ABSTRACT

An assembly comprises a cylinder block and a cylinder head secured to the cylinder block to close a plurality of cylinders formed in the cylinder block and to form a cooling liquid passage, in which, in assembly, cylinder head has two assembled positions on the cylinder block, the two assembled positions being pivoted from each other.

The present invention relates generally to an internal combustion engineof the overhead cam type and more particularly to an assembly thereof.

A known internal combustion engine of the overhead cam type comprises acylinder block and a cylinder head secured to the cylinder block bymeans of a number of tightening bolts. A cam shaft of the enginerotatably supported on the cylinder head is driven by the engine crankshaft through a timing chain to operate inlet and exhaust valves. Thetiming chain is accommodated in a chain over attached to one of twolongitudinally spaced end faces of the cylinder block. An intake systemincluding an intake manifold and a carburetor is arranged on one side ofthe crank shaft by attaching the intake manifold adjacent to one of twolateral faces of the cylinder head, while an exhaust system including anexhaust manifold or an exhaust converter is arranged on the oppositeside of the crank shaft by attaching the exhaust system to the oppositelateral face of the cylinder head. The exhaust system may be arranged onthe same side of the crank shaft as the intake system is arranged.

In longitudinally mounting the engine in a front engine compartment ofan automobile with a driver's seat on the righthand side of itspassenger compartment, the intake system must be arranged on therighthand side of the crank shaft by attaching the intake manifold tothat lateral face of the cylinder head which is disposed on therighthand side of the crank shaft when viewed in the forward directionof the vehicle in order to simplify a control linkage for thecarburetor, and it is the common practice to dispose the cylinder headwith the chain cover facing forwardly and to design the cylinder head soas to have the intake manifold attached to that lateral face of thecylinder head which is disposed on the righthand side of the crank shaftwhen viewed in the forward direction of the vehicle. In transverselymounting the engine in a front engine compartment of an automobile, thecylinder block must be arranged such that the rotational direction ofthe crank shaft agrees with the forward rotational direction of roadwheels of the vehicle for the sake of simple transmission of the enginepower and the intake system must be arranged rearwardly of the cylinderblock, and it is the common practice to dispose the cylinder block withthe chain cover facing laterally and rightwardly of the vehicle whenviewed in the forward direction of the vehicle and to design thecylinder head so as to have the intake manifold attached to that lateralface of the cylinder head which is disposed on the lefthand side of thecrank shaft when viewed in a direction along the crank shaft toward thechain over. It will be noted that for the longitudinal engine mount, thecylinder head must be provided with an attachment surface for the intakemanifold on the righthand lateral face of the cylinder head when viewedin a direction along the crank shaft toward the chain cover, while forthe transverse engine mount, the cylinder head must be provided with anattachment surface for the intake manifold on the lefthand lateral faceof the cylinder head when viewed in a direction along the crank shafttoward the chain cover. It follows that a cylinder head designed for thelongitudinal engine mount must be replaced by another cylinder headdesigned for the transverse engine mount when the engine is to bemounted transversely. This is a problem for car manufacturers producingan automobile with a transversely mounted engine as well as anautomobile with a longitudinally mounted engine because two kinds ofcylinder heads must be prepared and produced for the same kind ofengine. It will be seen that the same problem is encountered in the casethat an engine having a cylinder head designed for longitudinal mount ina front engine compartment of an automobile with a driver's seat on therighthand side in a passenger compartment is to be mounted transverselyin a front engine compartment of an automobile with a driver's seat onthe lefthand side in a passenger compartment.

Thus there is a growing need among car manufacturers for an internalcombustion engine assembly which allows an intake manifold to bearranged on any desired one side of a crank shaft of the engine withoutany replacement of parts of the engine.

The present invention satisfies the above need by modifyng a cylinderhead of an internal combustion engine so that the cylinder head to whichan intake manifold is adapted to be attached has two assembled positionson a cylinder block of the engine, one assembled position being pivoted180° from the other assembled position.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an internalcombustion engine assembly having a cylinder head which has twoassembled positions on a cylinder block of the engine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an internal combustion engine assemblyaccording to the present invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are top and bottom views of the cylinder block and thecylinder head, respectively, illustrating contacting surfaces of thecylinder head and the cylinder block of the engine when the cylinderhead is to be assembled at one of the two assembled positions on thecylinder block;

FIG. 3 is a side, partly broken away, view of the engine shown in FIG.1, illustrating the cylinder head secured to the cylinder block at theone assembled position on the cylinder block;

FIGS. 4a and 4b are top and bottom views of the cylinder block and thecylinder head, respectively, illustrating contacting surfaces of thecylinder head and the cylinder block of the engine when the cylinderhead is to be assembled at the other assembled position on the cylinderblock; and

FIG. 5 is a side, partly broken away, view of the engine shown in FIG.1, illustrating the cylinder head secured to the cylinder block at theother assembled position on the cylinder block.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1--3 show a four cylinderinternal combustion engine with its cylinder head having one of twoassembled positions on its cylinder block, while FIGS. 4a, 4b and 5 showthe engine with the cylinder head having the other one of the twoassembled positions on the cylinder block, the two assembled positionbeing pivoted 180° from each other about an imaginary pivot center.

Referring now to FIGS. 1--3, the cylinder block 10 has four cylinders12, each having a reciprocating piston 14 therein (see FIG. 3). Thepistons 14 are connected to a crank shaft 16 in a conventional manner.The crank shaft 16 is rotatably supported in the cylinder block 10 andhas its one end portion extending through one end face 18 of thecylinder block 10. The cylinder head 20 is secured to the cylinder block10 by means of a number of tightening bolts to form in cooperation withthe cylinder block 10 four combustion chambers above the reciprocatingpistons 14 and a cooling liquid passage through which a cooling liquidflows.

Secured to the end face 18 of the cylinder block 10 is a chain cover 24to cover a sprocket 26 splined to the crank shaft 16 and a timing chain28 for driving a cam shaft 30 through a sprocket 32 splined to the camshaft 30. The sprocket 32 is covered by a pair of casings 34 and 36. Thecasing 34 is secured to a mount pedestal 38 formed on an end face of thecylinder head 20 by means of bolts (not shown). The mount pedestal 38 isformed with three bolt bores 38a. The other casing 36 is secured to thecasing 34 to completely cover the sprockets 26 and 32 and the timingchain 28 in cooperation with the chain cover 24. Another function of thechain cover 24 is to form part of a lubricating oil passage.

To rotatably support the cam shaft 30 which operates inlet and exhaustvalves, the cylinder head 20 has fixed thereto a plurality of journals40.

An intake manifold 42 is arranged on the righthand side of the crankshaft 16 when viewed along the crank shaft 16 toward the chain cover 24in the positions of parts illustrated in FIG. 1 and is connected to allthe cylinders 12 by inlet ports formed in the cylinder head 20. Theintake manifold 42 is attached to one of the two lateral faces of thecylinder head 20.

An exhaust converter 44 is arranged on the left-hand side of the crankshaft 16 when viewed along the crank shaft 16 toward the chain cover 24in the positions of part illustrated in FIG. 1 and is connected to allthe cylinders 12 by twin exhaust ports formed in the cylinder head 20.The exhaust converter 44 is attached to the other one of the two lateralfaces of the cylinder head 20.

As best seen in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the cylinder block 10 is formed, inaddition to the cylinders 12, with a plurality of bolt bores 48 and aplurality of ports 50 of the cooling liquid passage. The cooling liquidwill pass through the cooling liquid ports 50. Formed in an areaadjacent to an opposite end face 18' to the end face 18 are two ports 52of the lubricating oil passage. The lubricating oil will pass throughthe lubricating oil ports 52.

The cylinder head 20 is formed with four combustion recesses 54, aplurality of bolt holes 56 mating with the bolt bores 48 and a pluralityof cooling liquid ports 58 mating with the cooling liquid ports 50. Thecylinder head 20 is formed also with two lubricating oil return ports 60mating with the lubricating oil ports 52. The lubricating oil ports 60are disposed within an area adjacent to an opposite end face to the endface on which the mount pedestal 38 is formed. Formed in an areaadjacent to that end face on which the mount pedestal 38 is formed aretwo additional lubricating oil ports 62 which open to the interior ofthe chain cover 24.

A similar mount pedestal 64 to the mount pedestal 38 is formed on theend face of the cylinder head 20 opposite to the end face on which themount pedestal 38 is formed. A plug member 66 is secured to the mountpedestal 64 to close a hole which is adapted to permit the cam shaft toextend when the cylinder head has another assembled position on thecylinder block.

When, in assembly, the cylinder head 20 is secured to the cylinder block10 in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2b or FIG. 3, the boltholes 56 align with the bolt bores 48, respectively, the combustionrecesses 54 with the cylinders 12, respectively, the cooling liquidports 58 with the cooling liquid ports 50, respectively, the lubricatingoil ports 60 with the lubricating oil ports 52, and the lubricating oilports 62 open to the interior of the chain cover 24 (see FIGS. 2a and2b).

An oil pump (not shown) delivers oil under pressure, in a conventionmanner, from a sump (not shown) to the cylinder head 20 for lubricationof parts, such as the journals 40 and cams (not shown) carried on ahollow cam shaft, the hollow cam shaft defining a passage for the oil toreach parts to be lubricated within the cylinder head 20. The oil issubsequently drained from the cylinder head via drain ports 60 and 62 topass through the cylinder block 10 via mating drain ports 52 and theinterior of the chain cover 24 respectively to return to the sump.

To enable the cylinder head 20 to be secured to the cylinder block 10 inthe position illustrated in FIG. 4b or FIG. 5, the bolt holes 56 consistof two groups, one of the groups of the bolt holes 56 being the mirrorimage of the other with respect to a pivot center 68 (see FIG. 4b); thecombustion recesses 54 consist of two groups, one of the groups of thecombustion recesses 54 being the mirror image of the other with respectto the pivot center 68; the cooling liquid ports 58 consist of twogroups, one of the groups of the cooling liquid ports 58 being themirror image of the other with respect to the pivot center 68; thelubricating oil ports 60 and 62 consist of two groups, one of the groupsof the lubricating oil ports 60 and 62 being the mirror image of theother with respect to the pivot center 68.

The pivot center is a center about which the cylinder head 20 may pivot180° from the position of FIG. 2b to the position of FIG. 4b or viceversa.

When, in assembly, the cylinder head 20 is secured to the cylinder block10 in the position illustrated in FIG. 4b or FIG. 5, the bolt holes 56align with the bolt bores 48, respectively, the combustion recesses 54with the cylinders 12, respectively, the cooling liquid ports 58 withthe cooling liquid ports 50, respectively, the lubricating oil ports 62,which have been opening to the interior of the chain cover 24 when inthe assembled position of the cylinder head 20 shown in FIG. 2b, alignwith the lubricating oil ports 52, and the lubricating oil ports 60,which have aligned with the lubricating oil ports 52 when in theassembled position of the cylinder head 20 shown in FIG. 2b, open to theinterior of the chain cover 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cam shaft 30, which has been projecting throughthe mount pedestal 38 when in the assembled position of the cylinderhead 20, is projecting through the other mount pedestal 64 and isrotatably supported by the journals 40. To enable the cam shaft 30 toassume the two positions of FIGS. 3 and 5, the journals 40 are arrangedsymmetrically around the pivot center 68.

In the assembled position of the cylinder head 20 shown in FIG. 4b orFIG. 5, the end plug 66 is now secured to the mount pedestal 38, thecasing 34 now secured to the mount pedestal 64 and the casing 36 nowsecured to the casing 34 on the mount pedestal 64.

It will now be appreciated from the preceding description that since thecylinder head 20 has two assembled positions on the cylinder block 10and thus the intake manifold 42 has two locations arranged opposite tothe crank shaft 16 when viewed along the crank shaft 16 toward the chaincover 24, the internal combustion engine assembly according to thepresent invention will alter its layout of the intake and exhaustsystems, without any design modification of parts, to be suitably fit invarious specifications of cars. Thus the engine assmebly according tothe present invention makes easy production management of engines whenthe same kind of engine must be mounted in different layouts. It alsoprovides many advantages on the part of the service men.

What is claimed is:
 1. An internal combustion engine assembly,comprising:a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders, each havinga reciprocating piston therein, and a crank shaft rotatably supportedtherein and operatively connected with said pistons, said plurality ofcylinders being arranged with their cylinder axes lying on alongitudinal line of said cylinder block; said cylinder block havingfirst and second end faces which are spaced apart a distance along saidlongitudinal line thereof, said crank shaft having one end projectedoutwardly from said cylinder block through said first end face of saidcylinder block, said cylinder block having a plurality of lubricatingoil ports formed within an area adjacent to said second end facethereof; a chain cover secured to said first end face of said cylinderblock, said chain cover and said first end face cooperating to form achamber; a cylinder head having a plurality of combustion recessescorresponding in number to said plurality of cylinders and arrangedalong a longitudinal line thereof; said cylinder head having first andsecond end faces which are spaced a distance along said longitudinalline thereof, said cylinder head being hollow and provided with a firstset of oil lubricating ports corresponding in number to said pluralityof lubricating oil ports of said cylinder block and disposed within anarea adjacent to said first end face of said cylinder head, and alsoprovided with a second set of oil lubricating ports corresponding innumber to said plurality of lubricating oil ports of said cylinder blockand within an area adjacent to said second end face of said cylinderhead; a cam shaft adapted to be rotatably journalled within saidcylinder head, said cam shaft having a first end and a second end, oneof said ends projecting outwardly from said cylinder head; drive meansfor connecting said crank shaft and said cam shaft, said drive meansincluding a pair of sprockets adapted to be mounted on the projected endof said crank shaft and on either end of said cam shaft, respectively,and a timing chain adapted to cooperate with said sprockets; a casingadapted to be mounted on either end face of said cylinder head forclosing the chamber of said chain cover; said cylinder head having firstand second assembled positions on said cylinder block, said first andsecond positions being located 180° apart, said combustion recessesclosing said cylinders in either of said assembled positions; saidcylinder head, in said first assembled position, having its first endface aligned with said second end face of said cylinder block, saidfirst set of lubricating oil ports in said cylinder head mating withsaid plurality of oil ports in said cylinder block and said second setof lubricating oil ports opening to the chamber of said chain cover,said cam shaft being journalled in said cylinder head with its first endprojecting outwardly from said second end face of said cylinder head andsaid casing being mounted on said second end face of said cylinder headand cooperating with said chain cover to form a closed chamber forlubricating said sprockets and said timing chain; said cylinder head, insaid second assembled position, having its second end face aligned withsaid second end face of said cylinder block, said second set oflubricating oil ports in said cylinder head mating with said pluralityof oil ports in said cylinder block and said first set of lubricatingoil ports opening to the chamber of said chain cover, said cam shaftbeing journalled in said cylinder head with its first end projectingoutwardly from said first face of said cylinder head and said casingbeing mounted on said first end face of said cylinder head andcooperating with said chain cover to form a closed chamber forlubricating said sprockets and said timing chain.
 2. An assembly asclaimed in claim 1, in which said cylinder block has a plurality ofcooling liquid ports of a cooling liquid system and said cylinder headhas a plurality of cooling liquid ports which mate with respective onesof said cooling liquid ports of said cylinder block when said cylinderhead is in either of said two assembled positions on said cylinderblock, to form part of the liquid cooling system.